Studies on Castor and Nutri Cereals Based Intercropping Systems on Yield and Oil Content of Castor
Sangeetha S. P. *
Department of Agronomy, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.
Pakale Smryti Dilip
Department of Agronomy, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.
Vanitha K.
Department of Crop Physiology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.
Somasundaram E.
Department of Agronomy, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.
Maragatham S.
Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
A field experiment was conducted during summer season of 2022 at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore to study the castor and nutri cereals based intercropping systems on yield and oil content of castor. The experiment was laid out in randomize block design comprises of thirteen treatments and three replications. The experiment results revealed that nutri cereals intercropping system and spacing between the castor row have no significant difference on the oil content of the castor. The highest castor seed yield (2098 kg ha-¹) was recorded in sole castor which was found at par with paired row castor + proso millet (2:4) and paired row castor + foxtail millet (2:4) (2003 and 1914 kg ha-1 respectively). Highest castor equivalent yield of 2647 kg ha-1 was recorded in paired row of castor + foxtail millet (2:4) and it was at par with paired row of castor + proso millet (2:4) (2604 kg ha-1) than sole castor (2098 kg ha-1). From this study, it is to be concluded that proso millet and foxtail millet are suitable nutri cereals for intercropping in castor under paired row system to increase monetary yield.
Keywords: Castor, nutri cereals, yield, oil content